UNSC Army Special Forces (AAO)
The United Nations Space Command Special Forces Command , are a special operations force of the United Nations Space Command Army tasked with six primary missions: unconventional warfare, special reconnaissance, direct action, hostage rescue, and counter-terrorism. The first two emphasize language, cultural, and training skills in working with foreign troops. Other duties include combat search and rescue (CSAR), security assistance, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, humanitarian demining, counter-proliferation, psychological operations, manhunts, and counter-drug operations; other components of the United Nations Space Command Special Operations Command or other UNSC government activities may also specialize in these secondary areas Training and Selection The basic eligibility requirements to be considered for entry into Special Forces training are *Be within the age brackets of 17-30. *Be a high school graduate. *Score a General Technical score of 110 or higher and a combat operation score of 98 on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). *Qualify for a secret security clearance or above. *Qualify and volunteer for Airborne training. *Take Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB) or Defense Language Proficiency Tests (DLPT). *Score at least 70 points on each event and overall minimum score of 229 on the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). Training The first phase of the Special Forces Qualification Course is Special Forces Assessment and Selection, consisting of 24 days of training held at Camp Mackall on Earth, and Camp Adams on Reach. It is a mentally and physically demanding course designed to see if the soldier has the "Whole Man" attributes to continue in Special Forces training and to serve on an ODA: intelligence, physical fitness, motivation, trustworthiness, accountability, maturity, stability, judgment, decisiveness, teamwork, influence, and communications. Many unsuccessful candidates elect to Voluntarily Withdraw, while others suffer injuries in the course of training and are "Medically Dropped." Those who successfully complete the course must then be selected by the final selection board. Many candidates who make it to the end of the course are not selected because the board deems that they lack the required attributes of an SF soldier, or that they are not yet ready to attempt the next phase in SF training. Events in SFAS include numerous long distance land navigation courses. All land navigation courses are conducted day and night under heavy loads of equipment, in varied weather conditions, and in rough, hilly terrain. Land navigation work is done individually with no assistance from instructors or fellow students and is always done on a time limit. Each land navigation course has its maximum time limit reduced as course moves along and are upwards of 12 miles (19 km) each. Instructors evaluate candidates by using obstacle course runs, team events including moving heavy loads such as telephone poles and old jeep trucks through sand as a 12-man team, the Army Physical Fitness Test, a swim assessment, and numerous psychological exams such as IQ tests and the Defense Language Aptitude Battery test. Outcomes of Selection *Those who quit are Voluntarily Withdrawn by the course cadre are generally designated Not-to-Return. This generally ends any opportunity a candidate may have to become a Special Forces soldier. Active Duty military candidates will be returned to their previous units, and candidates will be transferred to infantry units as Infantrymen. *Candidates who are "medically dropped," and who are not then medically discharged from the military due to serious injury, are often permitted to "recycle," and to attempt the course again as soon as they are physically able to do so. *Candidates who successfully complete the course but who are "Boarded" and not selected are generally given the opportunity to attend selection again in 12 or 24 months. It must be noted, however, that the time window to attend SFAS a second time can be heavily influenced by deployment schedules, as "non-selected" candidates are assigned to infantry units in the meantime. Successful Active Duty candidates usually return to their previous units to await a slot in the Special Forces Qualification Course. Because an Initial Accession candidate lacks a previous unit, he will normally enter the Q Course immediately. Organization UNSC Army Special Forces is divided into five active duty Special Forces groups. Each Special Forces Group has a specific regional focus. The Special Forces soldiers assigned to these groups receive intensive language and cultural training for countries within their regional area of responsibility. Due to the increased need for Special Forces soldiers in the Human-Covenant War, all Groups have been deployed outside of their areas of operation. Basic Element SF Operational Detachment-A Composition A Special Forces company consists of seven ODAs (Operational Detachments-A) or "A-Teams."The number of ODAs can vary from company to company, with each ODA specializing in an infiltration skill or a particular mission-set (Military Freefall (HALO), combat diving, Air Assault, mountain warfare, maritime operations, or urban operations). An ODA consists of 10 men, each of whom has a specific function on the team, however all members of an ODA conduct cross-training. The ODA is led by an Detachment Commander, usually a Captain, and a Assistant Detachment Commander who is his second in command, usually a Warrant Officer One or Chief Warrant Officer Two. The team also includes the following Enlisted Men: one Operations Sergeant, usually a Master Sergeant, one Assistant Operations and Intelligence Sergeant, usually a Sergeant First Class, and two each, Weapons Sergeant, Engineer Sergeant, Medical Sergeant, and Communications Sergeant, usually Sergeants First Class, or Staff Sergeants. This organization facilitates 6-man "split team" operations, redundancy, and mentoring between a senior specialist NCO and his junior assistant. Company HQ Element SF Operational Detachment-B Composition The ODB, or "B-Team," is the headquarters element of a Special Forces company, and it is usually composed of 11–13 soldiers. While the A-team typically conducts direct operations, the purpose of the B-Team is to support the company's A-Teams both in garrison and in the field. When deployed, in line with their support role, B-Teams are usually found in more secure rear areas. However, under some circumstances a B-Team will deploy into a hostile area, usually to coordinate the activities of multiple A-Teams. The ODB is led by an 18A, usually a Major, who is the Company Commander. The CO is assisted by his Company Executive Officer, another 18A, usually a Captain. The XO is himself assisted by a Company Technician, a, generally a Chief Warrant Officer Three, who assists in the direction of the organization, training, intelligence, counter-intelligence, and operations for the company and its detachments. The Company Commander is assisted by the Company Sergeant Major, usually a Sergeant Major. A second acts as the Operations Sergeant, usually a Master Sergeant, who assists the XO and Technician in their operational duties. He has an Assistant Operations Sergeant, who is usually a Sergeant First Class. The company's support comes from an Medical Sergeant, usually a Sergeant First Class, and two Communications Sergeants, usually a Sergeant First Class and a Staff Sergeant. Note the distinct lack of a weapons or engineer NCO. This is because the B-Team generally does not engage in direct operations, but rather operates in support of the A-Teams. The following jobs are outside of the Special Forces 18-series Career Management Field, but hold positions on a Special Forces B-Team. Soldiers in these positions are not "Special Forces qualified," as they have not completed the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course or the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC or "Q Course): *The Supply NCO, usually a Staff Sergeant, the commander's principal logistical planner, works with the battalion S-4 to supply the company. *The Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (NBC) NCO, usually a Sergeant, maintains and operates the company's NBC detection and decontamination equipment, and assists in administering NBC defensive measures. Battalion HQ Element SF Operational Detachment-C Composition The ODC, or "C-Team," is the headquarters element of a Special Forces Battalion. As such, it is a command and control unit with operations, training, signals and logistic support responsibilities to its three subordinate line companies. A Lieutenant Colonel (O-5) commands the battalion and the C-Team and the battalion Command Sergeant Major is the senior NCO of the battalion and the C-Team. There are an additional 20–30 SF personnel who fill key positions in Operations, Logistics, Intelligence, Communications and Medical. A Special Forces battalion usually consists of four companies: "A", "B", "C", and Headquarters/Support. Notable Members